Jobs with a lot of time off

[retired?]

Was reading the thread "Money is Time, but what do you do with it?" and began to wonder about roles that allow for significant time off annually.  I can take a two week vacation and if it is busy, then I return to work not feeling rejuvenated at all.

I would like a permanent (i.e. not part-time or seasonal) that allows for extended periods off.  Would add some $$ over RE and might ease the transition to full retirement.  The only one that comes to mind is teaching with its built in time off at winter break, spring break and summers (and benefits).  I might like that, but I am curious about alternatives.

Question - are there other permanent jobs that provide extended time off?  e.g. at least one 4-6 week period and perhaps at other times as well.

And, if no ideas, I would be happy to hear about good seasonal options.  I did Xmas delivery for UPS when I was in college.  Outdoors and lost a lot of weight.  Could string together a bunch of seasonal roles.

[InXS]

Landscaping

[catccc]

like you mentioned, delivery gigs in holiday season.  Retail in the holiday season.  Tax work Jan-mid April.  Someone mentioned landscaping.  I'll add deck building to that, for summer gigs.   But I think most of these lack the non-seasonal part of your requirement.  All I can think of is teaching.  Sorry.

Oh, I know someone that had a job on a submarine.  He was some sort of water scientist.  Not military related.  I think he was supposed to work for 6 months or so and then have a long time off.  I can't remember exactly how it worked.  It was a far off acquaintance, so I don't think I can follow up with him and ask about it.  Plus, he ended up leaving the job after a month.  Couldn't spend the time away from his kids...

[boy_bye]

I had a friend who was a Merchant Marine -- his schedule changed from time to time, but he'd generally work 6 weeks on/6 weeks off, or sometimes 3 months on/3 months off. He seemed to enjoy it but we were all very young and mostly just partied a lot whenever he came home. :)

[retired?]

Landscaping has occurred to me, but I live in Houston and it appears year-round.  I thought perhaps I could start my own service, but then I'd be at the beck and call of the customers (i.e. turning down a job might result in losing them).

The community college offers a cert program in horticulture/landscaping which I think I'd find fun and could get me into better roles.

Is landscaping not year-round in warm climates?  Could you expound a bit on what the job is like?

I am trying to think of jobs where I am employed by someone else rather than doing my own thing.

[retired?]

I had a friend who was a Merchant Marine -- his schedule changed from time to time, but he'd generally work 6 weeks on/6 weeks off, or sometimes 3 months on/3 months off. He seemed to enjoy it but we were all very young and mostly just partied a lot whenever he came home. :)

That does sound like it could be fun, but I should provide some background.  45 married with two kids, 10 and 12.  So time off, but not away.

[Terrestrial]

What you are describing can be conducive to contract work...I know a few people who do this and work for 3 or 6 month spans and then have a decent break before their next contract starts.  Unfortunately everybody I know with that type of arrangement has to travel in order to do it and it is usually foreign (for the people I know).  I would be surprised if there weren't jobs like this in the US as well, though if you would be qualified for them I don't know.  Alot of the people I know that do these types of contracts have specialized skills (IT/construction/engineering/etc). 

[retired?]

What you are describing can be conducive to contract work...(IT/construction/engineering/etc). 

Very good point.  I will have to consider it.  Most contractors I know are in IT (I am not), but worth searching in general.  I like it.

[VirginiaBob]

Jobs with Federal Government come with 208 hours of annual, 104 hours of sick leave, 10 paid holidays, and time off awards.  But that is with 15  years of service.  You are allowed to carry over 240 hours of annual leave from year to year and carry over unlimited sick leave.

[retired?]

Jobs with Federal Government come with 208 hours of annual, 104 hours of sick leave, 10 paid holidays, and time off awards.  But that is with 15  years of service.  You are allowed to carry over 240 hours of annual leave from year to year and carry over unlimited sick leave.

Thanks.  Didn't know it was quite that generous.  Found this site which confirms it:

http://www.federaljobs.net/benefits.htm#Vacation_and_Sick_Leave

Also answered my question about pay out for sick leave:

The author had 2100 hours of sick leave, just over one year, accumulated when he retired in 2005. He was able to exchange his sick leave balance for an increase in his annuity payment.

[forummm]

Jobs with Federal Government come with 208 hours of annual, 104 hours of sick leave, 10 paid holidays, and time off awards.  But that is with 15  years of service.  You are allowed to carry over 240 hours of annual leave from year to year and carry over unlimited sick leave.

It's also nearly impossible to get those jobs due to the hiring rules. And you only get half as much annual leave when you start (13 days is still good, but not 4-6 weeks like OP wants).

[forummm]

What about temp agency work? Technically not permanent, but you could be looking for work at certain times and then take a break from it for awhile.

[bacchi]

Move to Europe.

Actually, Virgin Air has a generous policy now.

[Self-employed-swami]

I work on the drilling rigs.  I get anywhere from 4 to 6 months off a year.

[juuustin]

Jobs with Federal Government come with 208 hours of annual, 104 hours of sick leave, 10 paid holidays, and time off awards.  But that is with 15  years of service.  You are allowed to carry over 240 hours of annual leave from year to year and carry over unlimited sick leave.

It's also nearly impossible to get those jobs due to the hiring rules. And you only get half as much annual leave when you start (13 days is still good, but not 4-6 weeks like OP wants).

Nearly impossible? To get a Federal job?  You are certainly mistaken.  There are over 2 million Federal employees in the nation and I assure you a lot of the jobs are not "nearly impossible" to get.  Does the process take longer? Absolutely.  Do they have to follow arcane and mostly unnecessary hiring procedures? Certainly.  But if you properly qualify for the GS level you are applying to and there are multiple openings, the process is very smooth. 

In regards to the time off, everything said above is true.  You start getting 4 hours per check in both annual and sick.  After 3 years, you get 6 hours per check annual and 4 hours sick.  After 15 you get 8 hours annual per check.  You can carry over 240 hours of sick each year.

[frugaliknowit]

Ski resort work, such as lift operations, food service, rental shops, and of course instructors and ski patrol.

[VirginiaBob]

Yes, the federal government jobs are pretty sweet.  The nice thing is that they are 40 hours per week, but if you want to make more money, you can do OT.  Actually, not really 40 hours per week:  40 hours per week * 52 weeks per year = 2080 hours per year - 208 hours annual leave - 90 hours holidays (working 9 hour compressed schedule) - 104 hour sick leave (if you use it) = 1,678 hours per year or 32.2 hours a week.  Not to mention generous amounts of weather days, 59 minute rule (where the boss decides to send everyone home an hour early with pay), time off awards, and paid furloughs during government shutdowns.  Probably really like 30 hours per week on average.

[mcneally]

Yes, the federal government jobs are pretty sweet.  The nice thing is that they are 40 hours per week, but if you want to make more money, you can do OT.  Actually, not really 40 hours per week:  40 hours per week * 52 weeks per year = 2080 hours per year - 208 hours annual leave - 90 hours holidays (working 9 hour compressed schedule) - 104 hour sick leave (if you use it) = 1,678 hours per year or 32.2 hours a week.  Not to mention generous amounts of weather days, 59 minute rule (where the boss decides to send everyone home an hour early with pay), time off awards, and paid furloughs during government shutdowns.  Probably really like 30 hours per week on average.

The vast majority of people don't use anywhere near the allowable sick leave since you're still supposed to be sick to use it. I've used 10% of my sick leave, we've had the office closed for weather 3 days in 5 years in a midwest city with snow (which you still have to work if you requested in advance to work from home in order to avoid slow traffic) , the 59 minute rule has been used once, I don't know anyone who has gotten a time off award and the furloughs days, though there were only 4 (I think) were unpaid. The government shutdown was paid, though I wouldn't expect that to happen again in the next decade. The vacation time you cite is for people with 15+ years in. A more realistic figure is ~1,820 hrs/ yr, which is still pretty good.

My particular agency allows part time work for a proportional salary and you can still collect a pension at the same age (working half time for two years would be worth one year of service for the pension calculation). This is why I'll likely stay until pension age of 57, part-time after I have a bigger stash, even though I'm already pretty bored with the job in my late 20s. The part time option may be rare. I happen to have a position where I work alone and my work is easily scalable up or down with strict deadlines rare. Even in my agency where it is an option I've only heard of it actually being used temporarily by new parents. Employee handbook indicates anyone can though.

[MayDay]

There are other jobs associated with schools.  The college in town has mostly 9 month secretarial positions.  The school district has a school nurse, janitors, and secretary in each building.  The medical center at the college has receptionists, nurses, and doctors with 9 month schedules.  Etc. 

[daveydinner]

Salmon fishing in Alaska.  Lots of my old buds do that. Work the season, work HARD, make enough to live the other 9 months of the year.

[Dicey]

Pool Cleaning Service is another one if you live in a four-season climate. Pay is good, once you get started. If you are good at fixing things and can do your own pool repairs, pay is even better. Trick is to find someone who wants to retire and is willing to carry the note on the business. The trade association is called IPSA, I believe, if you want more info.
OP lives in Houston, which would be year-round, but I thought I'd throw it out there for someone else to consider.

[jka468]

Teacher, or substitute teacher. You're not getting rich here, but can make decent side money and plenty of time off.

Seasonal job is golf caddying. I caddied in high school and college, and there were a number of 40+yo guys who were loopers as well. Decent pay (about $120 + tips) all in cash at the end of the day for 4-7 hours of work (depending on how long it takes you to get out on a round and how long the round goes. Also get a ton of exercise. There are plenty of downsides to the job, but hey, it works for some people.

[NV Teacher]

Question - are there other permanent jobs that provide extended time off?  e.g. at least one 4-6 week period and perhaps at other times as well.

Teaching fits the bill.  Off mid June to mid August although this is when I take classes to keep my license and get advanced degrees.  Two weeks off at the end of December.  One week off around Easter. 

You will spend years making a low salary while you build seniority and get additional degrees but eventually you top out on the salary scale.  It's a nice living if you don't mind being shut in a room with kids all day and having lots of people tell you how to do your job. 

[Spartana]

I know you don't want a seasonal job but posting this anyways in case someone else is interested  http://www.coolworks.com/

My younger sister - a completely badass Mustachian - has done a bunch of very cool seasonal and temp jobs for long periods in some really interesting places during long breaks from work to travel cheaply (months and even years at a time).

[Spartana]

like you mentioned, delivery gigs in holiday season.  Retail in the holiday season.  Tax work Jan-mid April.  Someone mentioned landscaping.  I'll add deck building to that, for summer gigs.   But I think most of these lack the non-seasonal part of your requirement.  All I can think of is teaching.  Sorry.

Oh, I know someone that had a job on a submarine.  He was some sort of water scientist.  Not military related.  I think he was supposed to work for 6 months or so and then have a long time off.  I can't remember exactly how it worked.  It was a far off acquaintance, so I don't think I can follow up with him and ask about it.  Plus, he ended up leaving the job after a month.  Couldn't spend the time away from his kids...

When I was in the Coast Guard there were civilian scientists and techs that came onboard to do research while out at sea for several months. This was especially true on the ice breakers in the Arctic and Antarctic. I think they all hired on thru the National Science Foundation - which also hires for all sorts of scientific and labor/tech type jobs for seasonal gigs in Antarctica and elsewhere.  http://www.usap.gov/usapgov/jobsAndOpportunities/index.cfm?m=1

Then there's oil rig platform worker - usually a few weeks on and then a few weeks off.

Of course all those kinds of jobs require time away from home for months so probably not for the OP.

[Spartana]

What about temp agency work? Technically not permanent, but you could be looking for work at certain times and then take a break from it for awhile.

And many temp places re-hire the same person again, for the same job with the same company, often for many months at a time. My sister did this for about 15 years - worked a "temp" job - usually for the same agency and same company - and took off whenever her contract ended so she could travel (or work cool seasonal jobs in various places). 

Another idea is look for security work. My sister now does security work for a big defense contractor (and has for about 15 or so years since she "settled down"). She started out in an on-call position in physical security as an armed officer (now works industrial security) and was fairly free to take large periods of time off work at will. She could have stayed on-call but wanted benefits and pensions so went full tiem. Might be something like that you could do on-call.

You could also look into working at a sporting goods store seasonally, a ski resort or other resort, a motel/hotel/spa/county club/golf course during high season. I think my sister did all that and more during her wandering years - as well as when she was staying in the home town and working winters.

Tax preparer

[RelaxedGal]

We did a river cruise in Europe on our honeymoon (UniWorld).  We had dinner at the captain's table on our second-to-last night and learned about their jobs.  They work several months at a time eating great food and seeing great sights, then get a few months off.  We went the first weekend in November, which was the last sailing before the Christmas season so everyone was in a good mood, about to go home for some well deserved rest.

I don't know if other cruises are similarly cyclical, and how much better the perks were b/c it is in Europe, but it seemed like a pretty sweet gig.  And seriously, the FOOD! Excellent.

[CommonCents]

Foreign service

[Spartana]

We did a river cruise in Europe on our honeymoon (UniWorld).  We had dinner at the captain's table on our second-to-last night and learned about their jobs.  They work several months at a time eating great food and seeing great sights, then get a few months off.  We went the first weekend in November, which was the last sailing before the Christmas season so everyone was in a good mood, about to go home for some well deserved rest.

I don't know if other cruises are similarly cyclical, and how much better the perks were b/c it is in Europe, but it seemed like a pretty sweet gig.  And seriously, the FOOD! Excellent.

I hate to say "my sister did this" again but...my sister did this :-)!. One summer for about 4 months she worked on a small cruise ship (Alaskan Explorer or Wilderness Explorer or Executive Explorer or something like that) and then, when they transitioned down to Florida for the winter she choose to stay onboard and go there. She could have opted to get off, go home or stay in Alaska, then re-join the ship at some later date. Some people JUST did the transition (re-positioning part), or just one segment of a cruise, or in just one area. Anyways, I thought it was cool but she worked a huge amount of time. I know it's not something the OP wants but might be a great ER gig for someone else or cheap travel hack.

[pagoconcheques]

House painter.  Be your own boss and develop a reputation for quality work.  When you want to take a few days or weeks off, just don't schedule during that time frame.  Exterior work is seasonal in most climates, but interior goes year-round. 

[iamadummy]

Fireman. They are probably off almost half the month.

[Spartana]

Fireman. They are probably off almost half the month.

Not really as they often work 24 - 48 hour shifts or longer, and then stay on duty if there are things going on.

The following is written by and according to the U.S. Department of Labor and particular to the work hours for firefighters.

 Work hours of fire fighters are longer and more varied than the hours of most other workers. Many fire fighters work about 50 hours a week, and sometimes they may work longer

[chemgeek]

I don't know if they can use it all at once, but we have friends that work for companies that are european owned and they get similar benefits pacakages to what europeans do ( 21 vacation days starting, plus a slew of holidays, very liberal work from home policies). This particular company is French.

On a related note, has anyone ever negotiated for more vacation time in lieu of salary when getting a job? How would an employer react if you were willing to take thousands less for some more time off?

[forummm]

Jobs with Federal Government come with 208 hours of annual, 104 hours of sick leave, 10 paid holidays, and time off awards.  But that is with 15  years of service.  You are allowed to carry over 240 hours of annual leave from year to year and carry over unlimited sick leave.

It's also nearly impossible to get those jobs due to the hiring rules. And you only get half as much annual leave when you start (13 days is still good, but not 4-6 weeks like OP wants).

Nearly impossible? To get a Federal job?  You are certainly mistaken.  There are over 2 million Federal employees in the nation and I assure you a lot of the jobs are not "nearly impossible" to get.  Does the process take longer? Absolutely.  Do they have to follow arcane and mostly unnecessary hiring procedures? Certainly.  But if you properly qualify for the GS level you are applying to and there are multiple openings, the process is very smooth. 

In regards to the time off, everything said above is true.  You start getting 4 hours per check in both annual and sick.  After 3 years, you get 6 hours per check annual and 4 hours sick.  After 15 you get 8 hours annual per check.  You can carry over 240 hours of sick each year.

There may be variation in agencies and kinds of jobs. But from everything I've seen, if you don't have a way in, such as veteran status, a disability, etc, it is incredibly difficult to bring someone good on board (at least in certain agencies). There are situations where an office is paying a contractor (generally 3x what their federal salary would be--2/3 goes to contracting company and 1/3 goes to the employee), wants to hire them as a federal employee (because it would save so much money), and the person wants to be a federal employee in that job, but it still takes literally 2-3 years to make that happen successfully. And if you don't have veteran status, and don't know how to apply for jobs the right way, you just have such a small chance of getting rated highly enough by the system to even get an interview. Your resume needs to be totally different than for private sector jobs. And HR (at least in certain agencies) is just terrible. Even people with amazing qualifications and recruited by senior leaders have trouble getting through the gauntlet.

[MandyM]

I hate to say "my sister did this" again but...my sister did this :-)!.

You and your sister sound fantastic. Is there anyone in your family that isn't badass?

[Goldielocks]

Fireman. They are probably off almost half the month.

Not really as they often work 24 - 48 hour shifts or longer, and then stay on duty if there are things going on.

The following is written by and according to the U.S. Department of Labor and particular to the work hours for firefighters.

 Work hours of fire fighters are longer and more varied than the hours of most other workers. Many fire fighters work about 50 hours a week, and sometimes they may work longer

Okay. But that 50 hrs is comprised of two 24 hr shifts with some extra time.  Its a real job with real job hours, but gives   4 days off per week and govt style vacation.  Good for FIRE as you don't want this job after 55.

Another is pilot.  Long hours, but my dad always seemed to be at home ( when not working).  Like being FIRE and working at the same time.

[cavewoman]

I know you don't want a seasonal job but posting this anyways in case someone else is interested  http://www.coolworks.com/

My younger sister - a completely badass Mustachian - has done a bunch of very cool seasonal and temp jobs for long periods in some really interesting places during long breaks from work to travel cheaply (months and even years at a time).

This!  Coolworks is awesome.  I found my cave job through (traditional?) craigslist, but for the second season I did a lot of research on there to get my bf and myself a new job.  Ended up getting 3 offers:
1.) Zipline guide in Alaska  - forgone due to large travel expense
2.) Cavern Tour Guide at Glenwood CO - Said no thanks due to no staff housing
3.)  Adventure guide at park in northern Wisconsin - Said YES!  They had zip lines, rafting, ATVs, all kinds of stuff.  Embarked on Epic Road Trip with HomeMade sleeping trailer and 4X4 Jeep - Broke down at Arizona/New Mexico border, crawled back to CA and old cave/canyoning guide jobs.

Anyway, Coolworks has categories by state, type of job, and even one for "seasoned" seasonal workers - older RVers and such who take the occasional job.

[RunHappy]

A couple of my brother's friends work on oil rigs/pipelines.  They typically work 4 months on 3-4 months off.  From what it sounds like when they are on they basically live in dorm-like accommodations and all meals are paid for.

[Jomar]

I'm an environmental scientist. I get 3 weeks vacation, but have the option of banking my OT for later time off. Seeing as I work lots of OT (doing field work, which I enjoy anyway), this means that I will be able to take 5 to 6 weeks off in the depths of winter this year (plus I just took a week off in September, had 2 weeks off in June when my son was born, and get a week off around Christmas). So a job where you are paid hourly and can bank OT can get you this (of course you end up working just as many hours as a full time job, but somehow its easier for me to work 12 hour days in the field for a week and then have a few days of bonus days off later on than working straight through normal hours).

[Spartana]

I hate to say "my sister did this" again but...my sister did this :-)!.

You and your sister sound fantastic. Is there anyone in your family that isn't badass?

Thanks! Unfortunately my Dad - Mega-Consumer Man, super hero to the deeply-indebt-because-they-bought-stupid-crap-on-credit masses - was a big spender and a massive consumer. Always deep in debt and always broke but with lots of toys and shiny new things.  Fortunately he left while we were young and we were raised by my very frugal (due to being poor) Mom, and she was very very badass indeed.

[NumberJohnny5]

Wife is a nurse. We did travel nursing for a while, first for 9 months out of 12, then 8, then 6. So those three years she was off 3, then 4, then 6 months. She loved being off for the holidays (though year #1, she flew home the day of Thanksgiving, so not sure if that can be counted).

If you're a nurse with 2-3 years recent experience, you can start applying now. I do recommend doing your research first, so you can reduce the number of rookie mistakes made.

[GizmoTX]

The fishing guides in Alaska work just the summer months. After that, they go to the southern hemisphere to guide during the warm months there, or do construction related work like carpenter, electrician, plumber, etc.

[Spartana]

Wife is a nurse. We did travel nursing for a while, first for 9 months out of 12, then 8, then 6. So those three years she was off 3, then 4, then 6 months. She loved being off for the holidays (though year #1, she flew home the day of Thanksgiving, so not sure if that can be counted).

If you're a nurse with 2-3 years recent experience, you can start applying now. I do recommend doing your research first, so you can reduce the number of rookie mistakes made.

or a physical therapist. A guy I know (retired early to travel) has a GF who is about 20 years younger then him and still works but she does it as a travelling PT. Each year (usually winter)  she selects a contract for a few months to a new place they want to go, they get a small apt and live there until her contract is done. Then they spend several months travelling (in the spring) elsewhere before heading back to their home - where she then does another contract that she re-news each year near their home for summer and fall.